The Fall
by Minatu-Corneille
Summary: Nothing can hold you back like yourself.


**This was written for the FlowerClan Quote Challenge! **

**_Disclaimer_ - I have claim over the characters and clans, however I do not own what they were based off of.**

**It does involve the same characters as my other piece "The Truth".**

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The Fall

"Ashfall! Ashfall! Ashfall!" Ashfall cringed slightly at the name that was cheered loudly. The name wasn't a compliment in the slightest, but he knew very well why it was bestowed upon him. Yet, he could not raise a single word of protest, not to Ravenstar. Ravenstar was the SandClan leader... and he, well, he was just a lowly warrior.

At least, even if Ravenstar harboured some disgust with him, she couldn't ignore the fact that he needed to be named a warrior. Ravenstar had postponed it quite a ways after Honeyfur and Lilyflower had become warriors. This not only frustrated him, but irritated Tigerpelt, his mentor. Though Tigerpelt didn't know all of the details.

The details were... Well, Ravenstar had given Ashfall the name "fall" because of Eagleheart. Not necessarily because it was Eagleheart's fault, but because of Ashfall's feelings for Eagleheart. Ravenstar had deemed them uncouth. Eagleheart was the SandClan deputy now, and he had an apprentice, Brackenpaw. Ravenstar feared Eagleheart might even love Ashfall back, and that would never be allowed...

_Sure, it's selfish of me to love him, but..._ Ashfall couldn't help it. He had no control over who he fell in love with, besides Eagleheart was a great cat.

Ravenstar's disapproval only struck fear into Ashfall's heart. Eagleheart was very loyal to Ravenstar, and as Eagleheart's closest friend, Ashfall was all too aware of this. Even though Ashfall longed for more in his and Eagleheart's relationship, he never acted upon these urges. He always kept himself carefully composed when Eagleheart was near. Somehow, Honeyfur became his greatest solace. She was the only cat who seemed to not care about how Ashfall felt toward Eagleheart. Other cats either didn't know or gave him odd looks, pretending not to notice.

"You should tell him," Honeyfur meowed suddenly. They were on a border patrol along with Tigerpelt. The large tabby tom glanced back at the two cats with a guarded expression in his deep, yellow eyes.

"I have to agree with Honeyfur on this one," Tigerpelt suddenly spoke up. He never stopped acting like a mentor, and father, to Ashfall, which Ashfall was very grateful for. Ashfall didn't know what his life might have been like if it wasn't for that old tom.

"You... you do!?" Ashfall squeaked in surprise. His short, gray pelt standing up on end. He was embarrassed by Tigerpelt's sudden input.

"You were about to say the same thing to Honeyfur as you did ten fox-lengths ago," Tigerpelt sighed, shaking his large head slowly. Ashfall felt his pelt heat up.

"O-oh... I guess I was," Ashfalled meowed softly. Honeyfur let out an amused purr.

"Ashfall," she began gently, "Even if he doesn't care for you in the same way that you do-"

"But he does," Tigerpelt cut in, his tail lashing back and forth. Honeyfur looked rather surprised for a moment.

"He will still accept you and care for you because that's just how Eagleheart is," Honeyfur continued. Ashfall gazed quietly at his paws for a long moment.

"Yeah... but I'm scared... What if-"

"I don't want to hear all of that again," Tigerpelt meowed with a warning tone. He was a few paces further than the two of them. He was obviously taking care of the entire patrol single-pawed while Ashfall and Honeyfur debated the situation. Not that Tigerpelt minded.

"No... this one is different..." Ashfall mewed in a soft voice. Tigerpelt blinked back his surprise and waited for Ashfall to continue. Honeyfur pricked her large, golden ears to listen. She was probably hanging onto Ashfall's every word. She was such an odd she-cat.

"What if... what if Ravenstar does something?" Ashfall's words fell into the air with a gigantic shiver. He spoke the words that they were all wondering about. Honeyfur was at a loss. She didn't know what to say. _Fox dung_, how would she? Ashfall felt like his whole body had frozen over. He had actually said it. Actually put the words out there. He could barely believe himself. What if it hadn't been such an okay idea? He could be in trouble.

"'I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes; I am out of control sometimes, hard to handle, but if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as fox dung don't deserve me at my best,'" Tigerpelt meowed suddenly. His words cut through the silence like the scent of prey during leaf bare.

"You know, Sagestar said that to Deerstar in the middle of a gathering once. Those words prevented a war between all the clans. I remember it like it was last moon," Tigerpelt continued, "It was shocking, sure, but effective. Sagestar was an amazing cat and an even better leader." Honeyfur stared at Tigerpelt with wide eyes. Ashfall was speechless.

"Did he really say that?" Honefur asked.

"He did," Tigerpelt replied. He looked at Ashfall seriously, "I think you should take those words to heart, Ashfall." Honeyfur looked like she had already done so. Ashfall nodded slightly, and Tigerpelt let out a warm purr. He led the two cats back to camp.

"So are you going to tell him, Ashfall?" Honeyfur asked him softly. Ashfall raised his eyes up from his paws. He looked far beyond nervous, practically shaking in his fur. Honeyfur felt like Ashfall had to say it aloud to really commit to it, but she was proud that he was already treading along the right path.

"I am... I really am," Ashfall meowed with a slight nod, as if convincing himself as well.

"I know," Honeyfur mewed gently. Ashfall's whiskers twitched and his eyes shone with gratitude. He felt like Honeyfur had helped him conquer his whole world while Eagleheart had taken the roundabout in his friendship, but it wasn't like Ashfall had opened up to him either...

"Ah, Ashfall, you're back," Eagleheart meowed. Ashfall felt his pelt heat up at just the tremor of Eagleheart's voice. The brown and white tom looked happy to see him. Ashfall quickly padded up to Eagleheart, hope filling his thundering heart.

"Eagleheart... could I talk to you when you get a moment?" he asked quickly. Eagleheart gazed at Ashfall for a spell before speaking quickly to Redtail.

"Of course," he told Ashfall. Ashfall's heart swelled, and he padded off to where Honeyfur was. She was with his sister, Lilyflower, and both were looking at him expectantly.

"So now we wait..." Ashfall meowed to them. Lilyflower let out a soft sigh.

"You're so patient, Ashfall," she commented. Honeyfur purred softly.

"He has to be. Eagleheart is deputy, after all," she pointed out, flicking her tail over Lilyflower's ear playfully. Lilyflower gave her sister a look of annoyance. The Eagleheart joined them.

"What are we talking about here?" he asked after a few beats of a pigeon's wings. Honeyfur and Ashfall were stunned into silence.

"I don't know. Ask Ashfall," Lilyflower responded traitorously. Her mouth seemed to have no problem with working. Ashfall's pelt felt like it had been set aflame. Eagleheart's eyes turned onto Ashfall then.

"You did say you had something to tell me before," Eagleheart meowed in a slightly teasing way. Ashfall nodded slightly.

"F-follow me," he squeaked. Eagleheart seemed a bit surprised by Ashfall but followed without hesitation. He trusted Ashfall.

"How was the patrol? Was there anything unusual?" Eagleheart asked, good naturedly.

"No," Ashfall replied. Eagleheart bumped their shoulders.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" he continued, sounding like he was in a good mood. Ashfall was grateful for that.

"Well..." Ashfall began softly, "I guess you could say it has to do with my name." The small, gray tom sat down, wrapping his tail around his paws.

"What about it?" Eagleheart meowed with a low intonation on concern.

"Ravenstar named me 'Ashfall' because of you," Ashfall replied. Eagleheart opened his mouth to pry further, but Ashfall didn't allow the question to be asked, "As you know '-fall' isn't a very respectable warrior name... and she said it was because of my..." Ashfall stumbled over his words, growing nervous. He gazed at the grass in front of his paws with a serious look.

"I love you," Ashfall finally said, pain stirring in his chest. Eagleheart was frozen in place. Ashfall looked like he was in pain, and it worried him, but Ashfall's words had rendered him speechless. The Ashfall was on his paws, scampering across SandClan territory, and without another thought, Eagleheart was chasing after him. Once he caught Ashfall and after some tumbling through the tall grass, Eagleheart pressed his flank to Ashfall's.

"I... I don't know how I feel yet, but give me a few suns, and I'll answer you then," Eagleheart meowed softly, and Ashfall accepted that because nothing was lost. And he didn't have to run or hide anymore.

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**Thank you very much for reading. I hope you liked it. Thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated, if you have anything to criticise I would love to hear it. I'm always looking for a chance to improve my writing skills.**

**~Minatu**


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